NUTRITIONAL CURE FOR LOWERED RESISTANCE

If you think your resistance to infection is not what it should be, the first thing to do is consult a doctor to make sure you are not suffering from an identifiable pathology. If you are given a clean bill of health, you should try increasing your intake of sugars, especially complex (slow assimilation) sugars, which provide you with energy throughout the course of the day, instead of for short periods of time. A diet that contains too few glucides can, in the long run, result in general weakness and lowered resistance.

Good sources of complex sugars include whole grains and pasta, dried fruit and legumes (lentils, beans, peas, etc.), potatoes and other starchy foods.

Lowered resistance to toxins can be caused by a lack of alpha-linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid of vegetal origin. To compensate for a potential deficiency, use more sunflower seed, com and grape seed oil, as well as low-fat sunflower seed or com oil margarine.

Another potential cause of reduced resistance to infection is an insufficient phosphate level in your blood. Possible causes of a deficiency include:

– alcoholism

– antacid medications

– barbiturates

– pregnancy

– a lack of Vitamin D

Symptoms of a phosphorous deficiency include:

– physical and nervous fatigue

– muscular atonia

– anaemia

– increased sensitivity to infection

Your body contains more phosphorous than any other mineral except calcium. The body of an average adult weighing 150 pounds (70 kilograms) contains about 700 grams of phosphorous, 600 grams of which are found in bones.

Phosphorous plays an important role in cellular formation and exchanges, and the transformation of food into energy. Combined with calcium (tricalcic phosphate) it forms the basis on which bones are built.

Recommended daily dosage

You need about the same amount of phosphorous as calcium: 800 milligrams per day for an average adult. Requirements are slightly higher for growing adolescents and pregnant or breast-feeding women.

Good sources of phosphorous are:

– cheese

– egg yolks

– nuts

– dried legumes

– chocolate

– sardines, tuna and other fish, shellfish and seafood

– meat

Reduce your intake of fats and sugars. If you are allergic to gluten or milk, eliminate wheat-based products and dairy products from your diet, at least temporarily.